


Dear Renji

by scheherazade



Series: Dear Renji [1]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Meta, happy endings!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 18:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scheherazade/pseuds/scheherazade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The circumstances of Yanagi and Inui's tragic separation were greatly exaggerated. </p>
<p>Letters, best friends, and continental drift. [Meta AU]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dear Renji

"I'm home."

Sadaharu's head pops up over the back of the couch. His hair is a pineapple-shaped mess and his glasses are askew. Renji thinks he sees a burn mark on his cheek, or maybe it's marker ink. Mostly, he sees the giant smile on Sadaharu's face.

"How was your day?"

"Good." Renji puts his shoes away, drops his book bag en route to the couch. He nudges Sadaharu aside so he has room to sit. "I read something very interesting today."

"What did you read?" Sadaharu pulls his legs up to his chest. He's scribbling in a notebook, somehow managing to wield three markers at once: red, yellow, blue. A green marker is tucked behind his ear, and there's an uncapped black marker peeking out from beneath the couch. "Was it for class?"

"Not exactly." Renji ruffles the magazine in his hands. The glossy pages make a snap-crinkle sound. "It's that series your friend is writing."

That makes Sadaharu look up. "You mean Fuji?"

"I think he goes by ‘Konomi-sensei' now."

"We all know it's him."

"Did you know he's writing about us?"

Sadaharu drops the red marker. "What?"

Renji hands over this week's _Jump_. He watches Sadaharu flip to the new chapter of _Tennis no Oujisama_. He watches Sadaharu skim the panels. He watches Sadaharu's eyebrows disappear into his hairline and a pink flush creep up from his neck.

"This is... I mean, that's definitely not what happened."

"I know." Renji takes the magazine back. "What did you tell Fuji about us?"

"Nothing!" Sadaharu gives him a panicked look. "I told him we were friends and we used to play doubles. I told the entire team because they were all surprised that we knew each other. I definitely didn't say anything about being _abandoned_ or waiting five years and four months to see you again!"

"Four years, two months, and fifteen days, you mean."

"We saw each other all the time!"

Renji laughs at him. "Sadaharu, I _know_." He puts the magazine down on the coffee table. "This entire series is a wildly inaccurate retelling of the 1998 junior high tennis circuit."

"Oh." Sadaharu twirls the blue marker, a nervous habit. "So you were just."

"Making fun of you."

"Stop it."

"You're cute when you blush."

Sadaharu turns even redder at that, and to hell with markers and badly dramatized sports mangas. Sadaharu squeaks when Renji all but tackles him. They fall back against the couch in a flurry of limbs and writing implements and Sadaharu's glasses disappear somewhere along the way.

"Renji—"

Renji kisses him, quick and hard and just enough tongue to shut Sadaharu up. "85% chance you've been thinking about this all day anyway."

Sadaharu groans. "Can you not make up stats about our sex life."

"I never falsify data."

"Bullshit, kyouju."

"I'm wounded, hakase."

Renji mouths at Sadaharu's rumpled dress shirt. Belts and zippers are easy; button-downs are a new challenge. He likes a challenge.

Sadaharu's fingers tangle in his hair. "What are you doing?"

Renji gets his tongue around one button and eases it loose. He presses a kiss to the inch of newly exposed skin. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Sadaharu wraps his legs around Renji's waist. "I think you should stop teasing and take me to bed."

He squeezes his thighs. Renji accidentally snaps a button off.

When he looks up, Sadaharu is watching him with half-lidded eyes. It might just be because he's legally blind without his glasses. But this close, Renji can feel the insistent thrumming of a quickened pulse.

They meet halfway, the way it should be. Renji licks over the roof of his mouth, and Sadaharu bites him just hard enough to hurt.

He kisses his way along Sadaharu's jawline, takes his earlobe lightly between his teeth. Sadaharu makes an undignified sound which he'll deny later. Renji smiles to himself.

"You have class tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow?" Sadaharu sounds confused. "No. Why?"

"Because," Renji feels Sadaharu shudder under his hands, "I have four years, two months, and fifteen days of fictional lost time to make up to you."

 

* * *

 

September 25, 1995

Dear Renji,

How is Kanagawa? I hope you are good. At tennis today I played doubles with Minami-kun. We lost because he doesn't follow directions. Coach said I can play singles at the next tournament.

We used bunsen burners at school today. You were right, my mom won't let me have one in my room. I said I would use safety goggles but she said no.

Write back soon!

Your friend,  
Sadaharu

 

* * *

 

September 29, 1995

Dear Sadaharu,

Kanagawa is nice. I have a big room (my own room!) but there's no tennis nearby. I miss playing with you.

Next year I will be attending a school with a good tennis club. They go to nationals every year. If I join the club, maybe our schools can play each other at a tournament.

Have you read any good books lately? I'm reading a book called I Am a Cat. It is written from the point of view of a snobby cat, but I won't spoil it for you.

Your friend,  
Renji

P.S. My mom said I can come to Tokyo next weekend and I can sleep over.

 

* * *

 

October 3, 1995

Dear Renji,

I can't wait to see you! The cat book sounds funny. Bring it with you and we can read it together.

I am going to Seishun Gakuen next year. They said their tennis club is very good, maybe we will go to nationals too. But you should come to Tokyo and play doubles with me.

What does P.S. mean?

Your friend,  
Sadaharu

 

* * *

 

"It means _post script_ ," Renji says in his kyouju-voice.

Sadaharu frowns. "Why can't you just add it to the end of your letter?"

"Because you've already signed your name so you can't."

"You can write smaller and make it fit."

"Then it looks inelegant." Renji pronounces the word carefully. Sadaharu can tell he's been reading his sister's textbooks again. "You have to use a P.S."

"I'll write a P.S. next time."

"You can try it now."

Before Sadaharu can say otherwise, Renji is scrambling out of their blanket fort. He listens to the sound of drawers opening and closing. Sadaharu shoves some rice cracker wrappers to the side of the blanket to make space. Renji returns with an armful of notebooks and pencils.

Sadaharu picks through the notebooks. "You can have the Megane Rangers one," he says generously.

"That's your favorite," Renji points out. He takes the Doraemon one instead, and Sadaharu thinks this is why they're best friends.

He opens the notebook to a blank page, writes _Dear Renji_ , and pauses. "What should I write about?"

Renji is busy scribbling away. "Write what you're thinking, but don't tell me. It'll be a surprise."

Sadaharu nibbles on the back end of his pencil, thinking.

"Don't do that," Renji says.

"Huh?"

Renji tugs the pencil away from Sadaharu's mouth. "It's dirty."

"It's not dirty."

"Yes it is."

Sadaharu sticks out his tongue at Renji. "Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

They both pause.

"If I keep saying ‘is not'—"

"—I'll keep saying ‘is too'—"

"—until one of us messes up and says the other one."

Renji mimes pushing up a pair of glasses. "Probability, 100%."

They crack up at the same time. Sadaharu rolls over and hears wrappers crinkle underneath him, which makes Renji wrinkle his nose, and that sets them off again.

Renji throws a pillow at him. Sadaharu uses that to muffle his snickering.

"Hey, Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's write letters to us in the future."

"That's what we're doing."

"No, I mean," Sadaharu sits up, fixing his glasses. "Let's write something and promise not to open them for a long time."

Renji tilts his head. "How long?"

"Ten years?"

"That's too long. You'll forget about it."

"Will not!" Sadaharu frowns. "What about five years?"

"Still too long."

"Two years?"

"One year."

"Fine. But you have to promise not to open it early."

"Only if you promise to remember."

Sadaharu sticks out his pinky. "Promise."

Renji curls his finger around Sadaharu's. "Promise."

 

* * *

 

October 7, 1995

Dear Sadaharu,

How was your year? It's been a long time. We will be in junior high when you read this. Have we played each other at tournaments yet?

I visited Rikkaidai last week. I met a boy who is going to be the same year as me. His name is Yukimura Seiichi. He said he's going to join the tennis club and be captain. I don't think he is as nice as he seems on the outside. I am telling you in this letter because I do not know Yukimura-kun yet and I do not want to gossip. Ask me when you read this. Maybe I will know more about him.

I believe you're supposed to write goals in letters to the future. Here are mine: I want to become a regular on the Rikkaidai tennis team. I want my mom to stop buying things with velcro on them. I want to finish reading I Am a Cat and all those books my sister gets for school. I think books get lonely if no one reads them. I hope we are still friends forever.

I'll be very happy if all these come true.

Your friend,  
Renji

 

* * *

 

October 7, 1995

Dear Renji,

HAS IT BEEN A YEAR? If NO, go to page 2 →

If YES, continue reading:

Wow, you're a year in the future! Or it should be if you waited! But even if you didn't it's okay.

You're writing next to me right now. What are you writing so seriously about? Yesterday I heard my dad asking mom "Why is Sadaharu's friend so sad? He's a bad influenze" (is that the word?) I wanted to tell him he's wrong but then they would know I was sneaking downstairs after bedtime because I left part of my experiment downstairs.

Let's see……What else? I hope you're still playing tennis!! I hope we both are. I hope we got all the data from all the players in junior high. I hope we beat them all. This week Minami-kun told the other kids that I'm too short and skinny and that's why he's not playing doubles with me anymore. So I beat him 6-1 in singles.

My hand is getting tired and I'm running out of space so I will stop writing now.

Your friend,  
Sadaharu

 

* * *

 

Renji turns the page over and nearly laughs out loud at Sadaharu's big, blocky handwriting:

_STEP AWAY FROM THE LETTER RENJI!!  
(you said we won't open it until next year!)_

He fakes a hurt expression. "You didn't trust me?"

Sadaharu's ears turn red. "It was supposed to be a joke!"

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"Don't laugh at me."

"It was sarcastic."

Sadaharu sticks out his tongue at him, and Renji giggles — or, no. Men don't giggle; they chuckle. He chuckles while Sadaharu makes more faces at him.

"You're being mean," Sadaharu complains.

"No, I'm your friend."

"Best friend."

"Yeah." Renji grins. "Isn't it great?"

"Yeah." Sadaharu grins right back, clutching Renji's letter in his hands. "Want to write another one for next year?"

"We should do this every year."

"Forever?"

Renji think about it. "Maybe in the future we can talk to each other through our brains."

"That'd be really cool." Sadaharu gets a dreamy look on his face.

Renji waves a hand in front of his glasses. "Earth to hakase. Letters?"

Sadaharu blinks. "Yeah! Do you want the Megaman notebook?"

"Just plain paper, thank you."

Sadaharu looks alarmed. "You don't like Megaman anymore?"

"No, of course I do."

"Oh. Why do you want plain paper?"

"I'm practicing my handwriting," Renji explains.

"For school?"

"Calligraphy."

Sadaharu blinks. "Why?"

"Data."

 

* * *

 

October 5, 1996

Dear Sadaharu,

Like I said in my last letter, I have told you about Yukimura-kun since we joined the tennis club together. I think we are friends now, as I have also told you.

I have not told you that Yukimura-kun said he and Sanada-kun will challenge for spots on the regulars next year. He asked me to go with them. Other people say Yukimura-kun is scary, and sometimes I think so too. But (and this is the secret) I am going to challenge with them.

I had a bad dream last night. I was playing tennis with no one. I knew someone was there, but I shouted, "Who's there?" and no one answered. I wish you were there. I don't like playing alone, but Yukimura-kun can't play doubles and Sanada-kun doesn't talk to me. I think he thinks I'm like an invasive species. I have to blend in as part of his habitat (that's why I'm practicing calligraphy).

Goals for this year: Learn calligraphy. Read many more books. Learn _go_ from my dad. Convince mom to get a pet (maybe a turtle). I wrote a story last week. It's not very good but I want to write more, and maybe one day I will write a book.

Your friend,  
Renji

 

* * *

 

October 5, 1996

Dear Renji,

I have a secret plan to become a regular at the Seigaku tennis club. Don't tell anyone!

You know in video games you eat special items to get superpowers? There are things like protein and vitamins that make you stronger and faster. Cool right?? My best tennis skill is our data. But sometimes I'm not fast enough to reach a shot. So I'm going to use my allowance to buy good food and mix them together to make the ULTIMATE SUPER JUICE.

There's a boy in my class who is really good at tennis. I want him to show me the cool backhand he does, like when you taught me data tennis. Too bad Tezuka-kun doesn't like math or we could collect data together.

Mom says I need to make new friends, but she doesn't get it. I can't just make a new friend. You're my BEST friend.

You know you look really scary when you're writing? What are you writing?? LET ME SEE IT!!!

Just kidding. I'll wait.

Your best friend,  
Sadaharu

 

* * *

 

"Is that why your mom won't let you into the kitchen?"

"No!" Sadaharu's voice cracks mid-syllable. Renji laughs at him. Sadaharu scowls. " _No_. She thinks I'm stealing things for experiments."

"Are you?"

Sadaharu looks guilty. "I took some baking soda. Only a little bit! She has a whole jar."

"I hope you didn't put it in a juice," Renji snickers. The look on Sadaharu's face makes him pause. "Wait, seriously?"

"I didn't drink it. It turned blue and started bubbling."

"It…what?"

"You know. Like a potion?"

"You brewed a potion?"

"Not like a real one."

"But it turned blue. And _bubbled_."

"Yes."

There'a a pause.

"Wanna see how I did it?"

"I'll get the baking soda."

 

* * *

 

Forty minutes and a minor blender explosion later, Inui-san shoos them back upstairs. They're supposed to be cleaning up for dinner. Sadaharu is sprawled out on the floor reading his chemistry textbook. Renji has claimed the spinny desk chair. Last year's letters are still on the desk.

"Is Tezuka-kun your friend now?"

"Huh?"

"The boy from your class?"

"He's not in my class this year."

"Is he your friend?"

"He doesn't like talking to people."

"He doesn't sound very nice."

"You don't like talking to people," Sadaharu points out.

Renji thinks about it. "I talk to you."

"That's because we're best friends."

"Who's Tezuka-kun best friends with?"

"He hangs out with Fuji-kun a lot."

"That weird kid?"

"He's not weird."

"Wasn't he the one taking pictures of everybody at regionals last year? I heard a coach yelling at him."

"He was collecting data."

"On the cheerleaders?"

Sadaharu pauses. "That's weird."

"Exactly."

"But he's a really good player. I heard that Tezuka-kun even lost to him once."

"That's nothing," Renji scoffs. "Tezuka-kun lost to Seiichi, too."

"Who?"

"Yukimura Seiichi?"

"You call him Seiichi?"

Renji shrugs. "We're friends."

"Oh." Sadaharu is quiet for a moment. "Then no, Tezuka-kun is not my friend."

"What?"

"He doesn't call me Sadaharu."

Renji looks at the letter he's still holding. _Your best friend, Sadaharu._ He puts it down and tries to remember when Seiichi stopped referring to him as "Yanagi-kun".

"Let's go play tennis," he announces.

Sadaharu looks up from his textbook. "Now?"

"Yes."

"We're eating dinner soon."

Frustration knots in Renji's chest. "After dinner?"

"It's too dark." Sadaharu sits up. His glasses are askew. "We can go tomorrow."

Renji swivels the desk chair. "May I borrow a piece of paper?"

"Are you going to give it back?"

"In a year, yes."

Sadaharu blinks. "That was a joke." He points to the desk drawer. "Paper's in there."

"You want one?"

"Of course."

They write their letters together, Renji at the desk and Sadaharu's long limbs taking up half the floor. It feels as right as standing on a doubles court.

 

* * *

 

October 4, 1997

Dear Sadaharu,

This letter is addressed to you today, next year, and always. You're my best friend in the world. I also have friends at Rikkaidai now, but they are not you.

Have you studied plate tectonics at school? The continents were all together once, billions of years ago. Then the seafloor spread (in places like the Atlantic) and subducted (like beneath Japan). But the fossil record shows that the continents used to be all one piece of land.

I think friends are like that. You and I were one continent, a long time ago, then we were pushed apart, but you can still tell where we came from. And geologists say one day the continents will come together again. America will crash into Japan. Cool, huh?

I've been reading some books in English. There was one quote that I loved and memorized: " _Friends are the family that you choose._ " I'm glad you hit me in the head with a tennis ball the first day you came to practice, because that let me choose you as a friend.

Yours,  
Renji

 

* * *

 

1998 is unkind. Seiichi gets mono during the winter. They lose Kantou and Nationals to Seigaku. At practice, Marui entrusts Akaya with a "secret"; Gen'ichirou punishes everyone with laps.

Sadaharu visits only once, and Renji doesn't make it up to Tokyo at all, except for tennis.

It rains, the entire first week of October. Renji is charged with watching the house while his parents are away. Seiichi charges him with making sure Akaya doesn't fail English.

That year, Renji posts his letter. He gets a call at noon on Saturday.

"You sound so serious," Sadaharu says, "in your letter."

"Did I?"

"Yeah, in a good way. You're a really good writer."

"Thank you." It wasn't his best composition, but Renji appreciates the compliment. "Read your letter to me, since you forgot to send it."

"I didn't forget. I sent it today." A pause. "But it's for next year."

"You sent this year's letter?"

"No, next year's."

"Yes, I meant you wrote it—"

"—this year but it's—"

"—for next year."

"Oh. Right."

"Right." It's still raining outside. Renji takes the phone upstairs to his room. "Read last year's letter to me then."

"It's stupid," Sadaharu mumbles. He opens the envelope.

The crackle of paper is audible over the line. Renji lies back in bed. "We always think we sounded dumb a year ago."

"You didn't. You wrote metaphors and emotions into your letter."

"I wrote about geology."

"And I wrote about…" Static and whispering of paper. "…juice recipes and toxicity."

"Tell me you didn't test them on yourself."

"Of course not. That's what the tennis club is for. Oh, I wrote about them, too. Stuff you already know, since we played twice this year, and—"

"Sadaharu," Renji interrupts, "read the letter to me. The whole thing, not the notes version."

"It's pretty boring."

"I'd like to hear it."

Sadaharu makes a reluctant noise. "Fine. _Dear Renji, If I die before you read this, please throw away the experiment notes hidden in my bookshelf._ By the way, you don't have to do that anymore."

"Well, obviously. You're still alive."

"No, I mean, I already threw them out."

"Ah. Okay, keep reading."

"Let's see… Oh. _Seigaku are definitely going to nationals again next year._ Sorry, I know you don't want to talk about it."

"It's fine. Continue."

"Um… _Tezuka will be captain, and I'm 90% sure Ooishi will be his vice-captain. Ooishi and Kikumaru are a national level doubles team now. And Tezuka is better than Hyoutei's Atobe Keigo._ Well, that's ironic. Sorry. Uh, then it says: _Rikkaidai, you have been warned._ "

"You're strangely prescient."

"Strangely what?"

"What else did you write?"

"That's it."

"That's a rather short letter."

"Yeah, well."

"Why did you send the letter for next year?" Renji asks.

"What do you mean?"

"We always open them together. This year was unfortunate, but I thought next year we'd still meet up."

Sadaharu is silent for a stressfully-long moment. "I mean, we can meet up. I just thought, you know. In case."

"We don't have to."

"No, if you want—"

"The letters. We don't have to keep writing them, if you don't want to."

A pause.

"Do you not want to?" Sadaharu's voice is very small.

Renji stares at the ceiling. "No. I want to."

"To stop?"

"I meant, I want to keep writing."

"Oh. Okay. I want to keep writing, too."

"Can we open them together next year?"

"I've already sent mine."

"I'll send you mine, too."

"Okay."

"Okay." Renji smiles, even though it's a phone call. If only joy were more easily communicable.

Sadaharu laughs, and perhaps it is. "Are you still coming over next week?"

"Of course. Saturday?"

"Sounds good."

 

* * *

 

October 3, 1998

Dear Sadaharu,

Sometimes I feel like you're the only one I can really tell things to. People here look at me and think I'm the Data Man, not a real person. Apart from Seiichi and Gen'ichirou, I don't have any real friends. But I can't talk to them about this, since, well.

Someone spread a rumor around the club that Seiichi is gay, and everyone thought Gen'ichirou must be his boyfriend because they spend so much time together. It's not true. Gen'ichirou thinks dating is foolish. I do think Seiichi has a crush on him, and has for a while. But to say that they were both extremely upset by the rumor would be an understatement.

I've been giving them some space to work things out, as I think they are perfect for each other (if Gen'ichirou likes boys; I know he loves Seiichi, at least, even if he hasn't realized it yet himself). But now it looks like I'm avoiding them because I'm bothered by the gay rumor. To be clear: I'm not. I don't think you get to choose whom you love, and anyway morality is relative and usually determined by bigoted people.

I swear they were so close to getting together before this whole thing happened. It's frustrating. I can't tell anyone else, and I can't bring it up with Seiichi and Gen'ichirou. They have enough problems already.

I can't lose them. You are the three most important people in my life, and sometimes I feel like I'm losing you, already. I suppose it's natural that you don't keep your friends forever, but some part of me also thinks that's not fair. If only things could be simpler. But I guess that's not the point.

I wonder where we'll be, five, ten years from now. I once wished that we would be friends forever. It's a strange concept, isn't it: forever. There's no such thing. Yet we keep hoping for it.

Maybe one can only calculate forever for a certain value of x, and that x is oneself.

Yours,  
Renji

 

* * *

 

His hands are shaking by the time he finishes reading the letter. He puts it down. Picks up the phone.

An unfamiliar voice answers.

"Hello, you've reached Renji's phone."

Sadaharu blinks. "Er, hello. Is Renji there?"

"He will be. Who's this?"

"It's, uh. It's Inui Sadaharu. Sorry, who am I speaking to?"

"Inui-kun! It's Yukimura Seiichi. We met during a tournament in junior high, remember?"

Yes, he remembers. Yukimura and Sanada standing there with Renji, as if they were three and only three and always had been.

"Yukimura-kun. Yes." He clears his throat. "I didn't realize Renji had guests. I can call another time if—"

"No, no, here he is. RENJI! IT'S YOUR BOYFRIEND!"

There's a faint yelp. Laughter. The phone switches hands. "—t funny," he hears Renji say. Then, into the phone, "Hello? Sadaharu?"

He unsticks his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "Hi. Um. If this is a bad time—"

"It's fine. I apologize for Seiichi. How are you?"

"I'm good," Sadaharu lies. "I read your letter."

He can practically hear Renji's brain turning, remembering today's date. October 3rd, 1999.

"Ah," Renji says. "Yes."

"Have you—" It takes him two tries to get the words out. "Have you read it yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Ah."

"I have it here. If you want, we can—"

"No!" Sadaharu clears his throat. "No, I mean. You have a guest over, and um. It's probably better. Because, you know. This letter is."

A confused pause.

Then Renji laughs. "Right. Yes, of course. And for the record, there's been an update on the situation."

"There's…what?"

"I'll tell you about it later, after Seiichi's left."

It takes him a moment to parse the last bit of conversation, and realize that Renji is talking about the letter he himself had written. About Yukimura and Sanada's—relationship?

"I can call you back later and read it with you?" Renji is saying.

"Uh," Sadaharu says, very intelligently. "No. I mean, you don't have to. If you don't want to. After you've read it. It's fine." His face feels hot. "Sorry. Talk to you later."

He hangs up.

 

* * *

 

The dial tone sounds against his ear. Renji stares at his phone.

"What was that about?" Seiichi asks.

Renji pulls the envelope from between two volumes on his bookshelf. "Let's find out."

He opens Sadaharu's letter.

 

* * *

 

October 3, 1998

Dear Renji,

You remember Fuji Shuusuke? Turns out he's working on a manga. He says it's about school and tennis. That's why he's always watching people and taking photographs at tournaments. For reference. Maybe that's why he and Tezuka are always together. Tezuka knows a lot more about the tennis circuit than Fuji.

Fuji said something the other day: "Ooishi and Eiji could be the love story subplot." Apparently because they play doubles and they're best friends. I'm not sure what kind of sports manga he's writing.

I've been thinking about your letter, and continental drift. Seismicity. Continents coming together causes so much destruction. Do you think it's worth it? Metaphorically, that is. We can't do anything about tectonic plates.

Sorry. You know I'm not really good with words. Numbers are more straightforward, but I don't think they work here.

It's logical if you think about it. You're my best friend, even though we live far apart now. But I still want to see you all the time. You're the smartest person I know. We both love tennis and _go_ and learning. I like your sense of humor, and you get mine.

A girl from 3-F confessed to Tezuka on Valentine's Day. She said he was a beautiful mystery and so aloof but noble. I don't think mystery is a valid reason. You can't really care about someone you don't know.

So I guess:

y = [(you + me) / 50km] * 4yrs  
x = (y - 50km) ^♡ + ?  
Solve for x.

Yours,  
Sadaharu

 

* * *

 

He goes running. When he can't run anymore, he walks. Eventually, he sits down at a park bench.

His phone rings.

It's Renji.

Sadaharu lets it ring five times before accepting the call.

"Hi."

"Your equation is grammatically incorrect."

"I—Sorry?"

"You and _I_ , Sadaharu."

"Oh. Right."

"And yes."

"Yes?"

"X equals yes, where y equals your nerdy confession and the question mark, I presume, stands for the letter. Which, by the way, never actually asked a question."

His entire body feels weightless just then. He might float away. He might have a muscle cramp. In his ribcage.

"I wrote solve for x."

"That's not a question."

"It could be."

"Ask me."

"You already solved it."

"I'm not going out with a _math problem_."

Sadaharu laughs, maybe a little hysterically. But he can hear the smile in Renji's voice, too.

"Kyouju," he begins, "will you go out with me?"

"I want you to know, hakase," says Renji, "the answer to that question has always been yes."

 

* * *

 

Against all odds (and good literary taste), Fuji's manga is an instant hit.

Renji reads it on and off. The week Rikkaidai gets introduced in the story, Seiichi calls him and laughs for approximately two hours. It mostly consists of _oh my god_ and _DID YOU SEE SANADA_.

It's funnier to Renji how long it takes to tell the story of one spring semester. Five years after _Tennis no Oujisama_  is first serialized, volume 25 hits the shelves. The title is, appropriately enough, "Memories". Renji buys a copy on his way back from class.

He comes home to find several letters addressed to him — in a very familiar handwriting. There are dates on each of the envelopes. 2000. 2001. 2002. 2003. And today: October 7, 2004.

"Welcome home," Sadaharu says when Renji joins him in the sitting room.

Renji curls up on the couch with him. He taps the letters against Sadaharu's knee. "Want to read them to me?"

Sadaharu doesn't even reach for them, just says, "Dear Renji," in his best reading voice, "I love you, and for this year, I hope we can be together forever. Or some value of forever where x equals us both."

"For a mathematician, your equations are terrible." Renji smiles. "But I hope so, too."

He's still smiling when Sadaharu kisses him.


End file.
